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S. B. No. 2432 *SS26/R577PS* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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To: County Affairs
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Barrett, Butler, Norwood,
Simmons (13th), Younger
SENATE BILL NO. 2432
(As Passed the Senate)
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 19-25-73, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 1
TO REMOVE THE PROVISION THAT ALLOWS COUNTIES TO CHARGE POLITICAL 2
SUBDIVISIONS A CERTAIN AMOUNT FOR HOUSING, FEEDING AND OTHERWISE 3
CARING FOR CERTAIN PRISONERS; TO REMOVE THE PROVISION CONCERNING 4
PAYMENTS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS SET BY STATE LAW; TO 5
AUTHORIZE BOARDS OF SUPERVISORS TO CONTRACT WITH POLITICAL 6
SUBDIVISIONS AT CERTAIN AGREED UPON RATES; AND FOR RELATED 7
PURPOSES. 8
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 9
SECTION 1. Section 19-25-73, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 10
amended as follows: 11
19-25-73. (1) In respect to the feeding of prisoners by the 12
sheriff's office, the board of supervisors is authorized to choose 13
one (1) of the following methods: 14
(a) It shall only contract with a local caterer or 15
restaurant owner to bring in food for the prisoners, and the 16
contract shall be awarded after taking bids as provided by law for 17
other county contracts. 18
(b) The sheriff shall purchase, in the name of the 19
county, all necessary food and related supplies to be used for 20
feeding prisoners only in the county jail. All purchases of such 21
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food and supplies shall be invoiced to the county and placed on 22
the claims docket of the board of supervisors for disposition in 23
the same manner as all other claims against the county. All wages 24
and other compensation for services rendered to the sheriff in 25
connection with the feeding of prisoners shall be submitted to and 26
approved by the board of supervisors as other wages or 27
compensation paid to employees of the sheriff. The total 28
expenditure for such purpose under this method shall not exceed 29
Fifteen Dollars ($15.00) per day per prisoner, except as provided 30
in subsection (3) of this section. All payments and 31
reimbursements from any source for the keeping of prisoners shall 32
be received and paid into the general fund of the county. 33
(c) The board of supervisors may negotiate a contract 34
with the board of trustees of the local public community hospital 35
to bring in food for the prisoners. 36
(2) The board of supervisors may authorize the sheriff to 37
maintain a bank account entitled "jail food allowance account" 38
into which shall be deposited all receipts for feeding and keeping 39
prisoners in the county jail, including payments from the board of 40
supervisors at the rate not to exceed Fifteen Dollars ($15.00) per 41
prisoner per day and all such receipts from municipalities, the 42
United States and any other jurisdictions required to pay the cost 43
of feeding or keeping prisoners contained in the jail. He shall 44
maintain a receipts journal and a disbursements journal, in a form 45
to be prescribed by the State Department of Audit, which will 46
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ST: State inmate housing rate; allow counties
to contract services.
provide the information necessary to determine the actual cost of 47
feeding the prisoners, which shall not exceed Fifteen Dollars 48
($15.00) per prisoner per day, except as provided in subsection 49
(3) of this section. All costs and expenses for such feeding 50
shall be paid from the jail food allowance account and supported 51
by properly itemized invoices. Any funds accumulating in the jail 52
food allowance account in excess of the monthly average 53
expenditures, plus ten percent (10%) for contingencies, shall be 54
paid into the county general fund at least once each calendar 55
quarter. 56
(3) * * * In order to effectuate the purposes of this 57
section, the board of supervisors is authorized to contract with 58
any political subdivision of the state at an agreed upon rate 59
which shall not be less than the payments by the Mississippi 60
Department of Corrections to the county. 61
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 62
and after July 1, 2026, and shall stand repealed on June 30, 2026. 63